Method and apparatus for preparing a flavored shake

ABSTRACT

A flavored shake drink is prepared from a prepackaged neutral flavored mix stored within a container. A flavored syrup is selected and dispensed through a bar gun styled dispenser in fluid communication with bag-in-box stored packages containing a variety of flavored syrups. A protective sleeve is placed within various size containers typically representing a small, medium and large size, wherein the sleeve permits blending within a standard fountain mixer and prevents the contents of the container from splashing onto the surrounding counter or on the container outside walls. In this way, the container used to store the prepackaged neutral mix and used to blend added ingredients is again used as the container holding the shake for the customer. The method provides a cost effective and health code conscience method for providing multi-flavored shakes.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/451,256filed May 26, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,665.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the dispensing and mixing ofmulti-flavored drinks such as milkshakes, frozen custards, slushes andthe like, and more particularly to a health conscience and speedy methodof storing, dispensing and mixing such products without requiring largestorage facilities and costly equipment.

2. Background Art

Beverage dispensing systems are used to provide consumers with beveragesthat are typically a mixture of previously stored concentrate and water.Further, milk shake machines are available for use in fast-food styledrestaurants, but such machines are typically expensive In addition,storage of product used is typically within the machine thus demandingexpensive retail space for placement and convenient use.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,686 to Jarrett discloses a beverage dispensingsystem for providing a number of different flavored drinks mixed fromconcentrate and water. The system has a number of containers for storingdifferent flavors of concentrate and a piping system including acoupling adapted to receive pressurized water. Each container is influid communication with a specific fluid driven proportion pump that isalso in fluid communication with the pumping system. Separate and fluidsupply lines extend from each pump to a dispensing head. Valves in thedispensing head control the discharge of fluid therefrom so that when aselected beverage is desired, the appropriate concentrate and water aredischarged simultaneously to ensure that the end beverage contains theappropriate mixture of concentrate and fluid.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,957 to Sizemore discloses a cup-type vending systemwhich includes a vending machine having a currency output device andautomatically outputs a beverage into a cup in response to an operator'spayment and selection of a beverage. The vending machine includes aplurality of disposable containers of beverage syrup, such as"bag-in-box" packages, stored in an auxiliary cabinet. A dispensingsystem functions to draw syrup from the disposable containers andselectively dispense a predefined or selected amount of syrup into anawaiting cup. The system includes pumping stages wherein one stage drawsa selected amount of syrup from a package through a feed conduit anddischarges the selected amount through a nozzle into the cup.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,759 to Giannella et al. discloses a milk shakemachine having a multiple mixing, blending and dispensing head formixing and dispensing a variety of flavored milk shakes from onereservoir of unflavored comestible. Each head incorporates a premixchamber, wherein an unflavored, neutral comestible is injected underpressure, and is mixed under turbulence with a selected flavoring syrupwhich is also injected under pressure. A flexible shaft beater mixes thepartially mixed comestible with the flavoring syrup and a triple portdispensing nozzle directs the mixed flavored milk shake into a containerfor serving.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,691 to Reese et al. discloses a frozen drink mixerfor preparing blended beverages, particularly frozen drinks, in which anice dispenser, liquid mix dispenser, and blender are combined into asingle unit. The apparatus automatically delivers an appropriate amountof ice and liquid to the blender unit and turns on the blender at anappropriate time to prepare the frozen drink of desired size.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient methodof preparing a comestible drink, such as a milk-shake styled drinkwithin health conscience standards. As is well known, strict sanitationcodes and enforcement of these codes creates a need for improved andsimplified food dispensing methods. It is further an object to provide avariety of flavors while minimizing storage and expanding accessibilityfor such flavors. It is further an object to use such flavors with aneutral flavored, pre-packaged shake mix for use as a base to whichselected flavors are dispensed. It is yet another object of theinvention to minimize inventory needs typical in the ice cream counterstyled restaurant and improve on the speed of service for such arestaurant. It is yet another object to dispense such flavors through abar-gun styled dispenser wherein a single or multiple flavors are addedto the pre-packaged mix prior to blending. It is yet another object ofthe present invention to provide such a method at a cost well below thatassociated with current methods that include typically expensive storageand processing equipment. These and other objects of the invention willbe apparent upon further review of the following specification anddrawing.

The present invention discloses a method for preparing a comestibleflavored shake which comprises the steps of providing a container thatwill be used to serve the shake to a customer, filling the containerwith a predetermined amount of a neutral flavored comestible mix,inserting a sleeve partially into the container, wherein the sleeveextends outward from the container for effectively extending walls ofthe container and thus preventing contents of the container fromsplashing out during blending of the mix. A flavored syrup is then addedinto the container and the mix and syrup are blended to form a flavoredshake. The sleeve is removed from within the container for serving theflavored shake to a customer within the container.

In an alternate method for preparing multi-flavored shakes, stepsinclude storing a mulitiplicity of varying flavored syrups withincorresponding syrup packages and pumping the syrups from theircorresponding packages to a bar gun-styled syrup dispenser in responseto selecting a desired flavored syrup. A container used for serving ashake to a customer is filled with a predetermined amount of a neutralflavored shake mix. A desired flavored syrup is selected and added tothe container for blending with the neutral flavored shake mix. Theblended mix and syrup is thus formed into a flavored shake ready to beserved within the container.

When it is desirable to have pre-packaged containers of neutral flavoredmix, the container having the mix therein is sealed and stored in a foodfreezer until needed. When desired, the container is removed from thefreezer and unsealed for accessing the mix.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention as well as alternate embodimentsare described by way of example with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a functional elevation view of a combination of elements usedwithin the inventive shake mixing method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a container illustrating anembodiment of a sealing lid;

FIG. 3 is a schematic styled top view of the element combination of FIG.1 illustrating method steps for an embodiment of the shake mixing methodof the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial elevation view of a food freezer wherein prepackagedshake mix is stored within the same container used in the storing,blending and serving steps of the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a partial elevation view illustrating a sleeve inserting stepof the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a typical shake mixer found in the prior art;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a cylindrical sleeve incombination with a cup having a tapered side wall;

FIG. 8 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a sleeve used in thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 is a functional elevation view illustrating bag-in-box syrupstorage and flavor selection using a bar gun styled syrup dispenser inmethod steps of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a partial elevation view illustrating functional step of themethod of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a partial elevation view illustrating a step of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred method of the present invention is illustrated withreference to enclosed drawings in which FIG. 1 schematically illustrateselements used in a method for preparing a multi-flavored shake 10 to awaiting customer 12 as illustrated with reference to FIG. 11, a step inthe method and an object of the present invention. In the preferredembodiment, a neutral flavored shake mix 14 is prepared, pre-packaged orstored in a cup or container 16, and delivered to an ice cream shop orrestaurant for storage in a food freezer 18 conveniently accessed by afood service person or server. Typically, such a freezer 18 isconveniently located near to the shake preparation area such as acounter 20. It is anticipated that a multiplicity of pre-packagedcontainers 16 having such a mix 14 will be stored within the freezer 18as is typical done for freezers holding various flavors of ice cream.Further, the container is sealed with a lid 22 prior to storage in thefreezer 18. With such an arrangement, handling the mix 14 at therestaurant is done within strict health code standards and with littlefear of contaminating the pre-packaged mix 14.

It is anticipated, as is illustrated with reference to FIG. 2, that aflexible foil styled lid 22 will be sealed along the container rim ormouth 36. The lid 22, in such an embodiment extend beyond the rim 36 forease in handling the lid 22 for peeling from the container 16 anddisposal.

Multiple bag-in-box styled packages 24 are used to store variousflavored syrups 26. The syrups are individually pumped through dedicatedpumps 28 and conduit 30 to a bar gun styled dispenser 32 for selecting adesired syrup for adding to the container 16 and blending with the mix14. As is typical on bar guns, selector buttons (not shown) provide forthe selection of a desired syrup to be dispensed from the dispenser 32after delivery from an appropriate package 24 having the desired syrup26.

As illustrated with reference to FIG. 4, one container 16, having theneutral shake mix 14 therein and a lid 22 thereon for providing anairtight seal of the mix 14, is taken from its storage place in thefreezer 18. The lid 22 is removed and disposed of in the preferredmethod to further meet cleanliness and efficiency objects of the presentinvention. As illustrated with reference to FIG. 5, a protective tubularsleeve 34 is inserted into the container 16. The sleeve 34 enters atleast partially into the container 16 and is held in place by containerside walls.

As illustrated with reference to FIG. 6, it is well known in the sodafountain art to use a mixer 38 that includes a mixing cup 40, typicallymade of metal for preparing the shake. Once prepared, the flavored shakein then poured into a serving cup. Often, excess mixed shake is preparedonly to be wasted because the size shake ordered does not accommodatethe amount of shake prepared. Further, the typical mixer 38 has a presetheight dimension 42, so that a switch 44 can be activated for theblending process, while the mixing cup 40 is held between the switch 44and a hook 46 upon which a bottom portion 48 of the cup 40 is placed.

As illustrated with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the tubular sleeve 34having open ends is dimensioned for passing into the container 16.Depending on the container opening 50, and the taper within thecontainer walls 52, the sleeve 34 will rest against the cup inner wallsurface 54 as illustrated with a cylindrical, parallel walled sleeve 34aof FIG. 7.

With reference to FIG. 8, in the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the sleeve 34 has a taper wall 56 as illustrated withreference to FIG. 8. In this way, parallel walled containers and thetypical tapered wall fountain cups are easily used with the sleeve 34.Further, in one embodiment of the sleeve 34, the sleeve 34 includes astep 58 for receiving a container rim 36 as illustrated with referenceto the large shake cup 60. For typical medium 62 and small 64 cups, thesleeve tapered wall portion 66 contacts the respective rims 36 whereinthe sleeve 34 is held in position for the blending step. The sleeve 34extends sufficiently above the cup rim 36 to prevent splashing mix fromdirtying the cup outside wall surface of the surrounding counter wherethe shake is being prepared. In addition, the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention includes the use of a sleeve 34 using a taper andstep combination that provides a height dimension 42 such that thecombination of sleeve 34 and cup 60, 62, 64, can be used in a standardmanner with the well known mixer 38 as described earlier with referenceto FIG. 6.

As illustrated with reference to FIG. 9 and again to FIG. 1, thepreferred embodiment of the present invention anticipates the storing ofa multiplicity of packages 24 in a bag-in-box styled package and storageconfiguration 68. The contents, a variety of flavored syrups 26, of eachpackage 24 is in fluid communication with the dispenser 32, a bar gunstyled dispenser typically used to select and dispense liquor drinks andmixed soda drinks in combination with a preset amount of injected water.Once a particular flavored syrup 26 has been identified, an appropriatebutton on the dispenser 32 is pushed which causes a pump dedicated tothat syrup 26 to pump the syrup 26 from its individual package 24through conduit 30 in fluid communication with its individual pump 28.Typically one push of the dispense button insects a preset amount ofsyrup, two button pushes injects a doubled amount. In this way,customized, multi-flavored shake ingredients are readied for blendinginto the shake of choice. Further, a combination of flavors can beinjected into the container depending on the needs of customer.

As illustrated by way of example with reference to FIG. 7, with thesleeve 34 placed within the appropriate container 16, the container 16and sleeve 34 combination is then positioned for permitting a mixingblade shaft 39 of the mixer to be inserted into the container 16 throughthe sleeve 34 for blending of the ingredients. It is anticipated thatcups 60, 62, and 64 typically used will have 20, 16 and 12 ouncecapacities often used to serve milk shakes. Once the blending iscomplete, the sleeve 34 and container 16 combination is removed from themixer 38. The sleeve 34 is removed and the container 16 now having thedesired flavored shake is served to the customer 12, as illustrated withreference to FIG. 11. In the preferred embodiment of he presentinvention, the sleeve 34 is washed for reuse.

With such a method, a cost effective, health code conscience method ofproviding a desired flavored shake is provided. While specific methodsteps of the invention have been described in detail herein above, it isto be understood that various modifications may be made from thespecific details described herein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having now described the invention, the construction. the operation anduse of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new anduseful results obtained thereby, the new and useful methods andreasonable equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, areset forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for preparing a flavored shake, themethod comprising the steps of:storing a neutral shake mix within acontainer; storing the container having the neutral shake mix therein ina freezer; removing the container from the freezer for preparing aflavored shake therein; providing a plurality of flavored syrups;storing each of the plurality of flavored syrups in a syrup package;providing a conduit from each of the plurality of syrup packages fordispensing a selected syrup; selecting a flavored syrup from theplurality of flavored syrups; dispensing the flavored syrup into thecontainer having the neutral shake mix therein; blending the selectedsyrup with the neutral shake mix for forming a flavored shake; andserving the container having the flavored shake therein.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising the step of sealing a lid ontothe container for enclosing the neutral shake mix therein during thecontainer storing step.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein theneutral shake mix is selected from the group consisting of vanilla icecream, vanilla soft serve ice cream, unflavored shake mix, andprepackaged neutral flavored mix.
 4. The method according to claim 1,further comprising the step of providing a bar gun styled dispenseroperable with the conduit for the syrup dispensing step.
 5. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the step of providing a plurality offlavored syrups includes the step of storing each of the plurality offlavored syrups in a bag-in-box styled package at a storage locationremoved from a blending location for the syrup blending step.
 6. Themethod according to claim 5, wherein the syrup dispensing step comprisesthe step of pumping the selected syrup from its respective bag-in-boxstyled package.
 7. The method according to claim 1, further comprisingthe steps of:inserting an open ended tubular sleeve into the container,the open ended tubular sleeve extending walls of the container forlimiting splashing of the mix during the blending step; and removing thesleeve prior to the serving step.
 8. The method according to claim 7,wherein the container and sleeve generally have a cylindrical shape. 9.The method according to claim 7, wherein the blending step comprises thesteps of:providing a mixer having a mixing blade; and inserting themixing blade through the sleeve and into the container.
 10. A method forpreparing a flavored shake, the method comprising the steps of:storing aplurality of flavored syrups, each within a bag-in-box styled syruppackage at a storage location removed from a blending location for asyrup blending step; providing a container having been stored with aneutral shake mix therein; extracting a selected syrup from the syruppackage; dispensing the selected syrup into the container having theneutral shake mix therein; blending the selected syrup with the neutralshake mix for forming a flavored shake; and serving the container havingthe flavored shake therein.
 11. The method according to claim 10,wherein the neutral shake mix is selected from the group consisting ofvanilla ice cream, vanilla soft serve ice cream, unflavored shake mix,and prepackaged neutral flavored mix.
 12. The method according to claim10, wherein the selected syrup dispensing step comprises the stepsof:providing a conduit from each of the plurality of syrup packages forthe syrup dispensing step; and providing a bar gun styled dispenseroperable with the conduit.
 13. The method according to claim 10, whereinthe syrups storing step comprises the step of containing the pluralityof flavored syrups in a bag-in-box styled package at a storage locationremoved from a blending location for the syrup blending step.
 14. Themethod according to claim 10, wherein the syrup extracting stepcomprises the step of pumping the selected syrup from its respectivebag-in-box styled package.
 15. The method according to claim 10, furthercomprising the steps of:inserting an open ended tubular sleeve prior tothe blending step, the open ended tubular sleeve extending walls of thecontainer for limiting splashing of the mix during the blending step;and removing the sleeve prior to the serving step.
 16. The methodaccording to claim 15, wherein the blending step comprises the stepsof:providing a mixer having a mixing blade; and inserting the mixingblade through the sleeve and into the container.
 17. The methodaccording to claim 10, wherein the syrup extracting and dispensing stepscomprise the steps of extracting and dispensing at least two selectedsyrups.
 18. A system for preparing a flavored shake, the systemcomprising:a container useful for serving a flavored shake; a neutralshake mix carried within the container; a plurality of flavored syrups;a plurality of syrup packages, wherein each of the plurality of syruppackages includes one of the plurality of flavored syrups; means forselecting a syrup from the plurality of flavored syrups; means operablewith the selecting means for dispensing the selected syrup through aconduit; and means for blending the selected syrup with the neutralshake mix in the container for forming a flavored shake within thecontainer.
 19. The system according to claim 18, further comprising alid positioned on the container for sealing the neutral shake mixtherein.
 20. The system according to claim 18, further comprising a foodfreezer storing the container with the neutral shake mix therein. 21.The system according to claim 18, wherein the neutral shake mix isselected from the group consisting of vanilla ice cream, vanilla softserve ice cream, unflavored shake mix, and prepackaged neutral flavoredmix.
 22. The system according to claim 18, wherein the selecting meanscomprise a bar gun styled dispenser operable with the conduit for fluidcommunication with the syrup packages.
 23. The system according to claim18, wherein each of the syrup packages comprises a bag-in-box styledpackage.
 24. The system according to claim 18, wherein the syrupdispensing means comprises a pump within fluid communication between thestorage packages and the bar gun styled dispenser.
 25. The systemaccording to claim 18, further comprising an open ended tubular sleevepositioned within the container, the open ended tubular sleeve extendingwalls of the container for limiting splashing of the mix during theblending.
 26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the blendingmeans comprises a mixer having a mixing blade sufficient for extendingthrough the sleeve carried b y the container and into the container. 27.A system for preparing a flavored shake, the system comprising:means forstoring each of a plurality of flavored syrups in a bag-in-box styledpackage; a container having a neutral shake mix carried therein; meansoperable with the storing means for selecting a syrup from the pluralityof flavored syrups; means operable with the selecting means fordispensing the selected syrup into the container having the neutralshake mix therein; means for blending the selected syrup with theneutral mix for forming a flavored shake.
 28. The system according toclaim 27, wherein the neutral shake mix is selected from the groupconsisting of vanilla ice cream, vanilla soft serve ice cream,unflavored shake mix, and prepackaged neutral flavored mix.
 29. Thesystem according to claim 27, wherein the dispensing means comprises apump and conduit in fluid communication with the storing means, andwherein the selecting means comprises a bar gun styled dispenseroperable therewith.
 30. The system according to claim 27, furthercomprising an open ended tubular sleeve removably carried by thecontainer for extending walls of the container and limiting splashing ofthe mix during blending thereof with a selected syrup.
 31. The systemaccording to claim 30, wherein the blending means comprises a mixerhaving a mixing blade sufficient for extending through the sleevecarried by the container and into the container.